Peter's Story

How DBS Helped Peter

While Peter was growing up, his essential tremor (ET) was never that big of a deal to him. In fact, he went through grade school and much of his adult life rarely thinking about his condition. “For me, the tremors were part of who I was. My dad and two sisters also had ET. The tremors were just a part of my life,” Peter remembers.

As Peter grew older, his tremors grew increasingly more debilitating. He found some of the tasks at the explosives plant where he worked were becoming more difficult. He tried to hide his tremors from his co-workers.

“I would be shaking while working with these explosives and chemicals. It just wasn’t safe. I knew it was a matter of time before I dropped something,” he recalls.

When he was in his mid 40s, Peter visited a neurologist to discuss his tremors. At first, the neurologist suggested that he try medications. Peter received a prescription, but worried about how the drug’s side effects would affect his job performance.

A few weeks later, Peter read a story about someone with a similar condition to his who had benefitted from Medtronic DBS Therapy. Several months later, Peter returned to his neurologist and asked if the treatment would work for him.

Medtronic DBS Therapy uses a surgically implanted medical device much like a cardiac pacemaker to deliver electrical stimulation to precisely targeted areas within the brain. The stimulation is delivered through a medical wire called a lead, which is tunneled beneath the skin.

Stimulation of these areas blocks the signals that cause the disabling motor symptoms of essential tremor. The electrical stimulation can be non-invasively adjusted to maximize treatment benefits. As a result, individuals like Peter may achieve greater control over their body movements.

The Journey Begins

Peter underwent two separate surgical procedures to implant the Medtronic DBS Therapy system. Ten days after his second procedure, his system was programmed and turned on.

“I was impressed right away. I felt a quiet in my brain I hadn’t felt before,” Peter remembers.

After several programming sessions to fine tune Peter’s system, he still wasn’t totally satisfied with the amount of tremor relief he was receiving on the right side of his body. After a discussion with his doctor, they decided to replace a lead that ran from his generator to the lead in his brain.

Shortly after this procedure Peter realized his stimulation was too strong, which made him experience unusual mood swings. A few days later, his clinician helped program the stimulation settings and this symptom along with the majority of his tremors faded.

Living With DBS Therapy

Today, Peter lives an active life with reduced tremors. He is a manager at the explosives plant and rarely worries about his tremors getting in the way of his job duties. Away from work, he enjoys spending time with his family, playing golf, and doing handy-work around his house.

“Doing things that required manual dexterity were becoming challenging before DBS. Today, I‘m able to work with my hands with confidence,” Peter says. “But most importantly, now my co-workers don’t run when I’m holding a detonator!”

Information on this site should not be used as a substitute for talking with your doctor. Always talk with your doctor about diagnosis and treatment information.

Last updated: 12 Jan 2009